The people of Thamud are a tribe mentioned in
the Qur'an about whom a substantial amount is known. Historical
sources confirm that a people known as the Thamud existed many years
ago. It is believed that the people of al-Hijr referred to in the
Qur'an are actually the same people as Thamud, because another name
for Thamud is "Ashab al-Hijr." That being the case, the
word "Thamud" may be the name of a people and al-Hijr one of the
cities they founded. In fact, this is exactly what is suggested
by the descriptions of the Greek geographer Pliny, who wrote that
Thamud lived in places called Domotha and Hegra, the present-day
city of Hijr.236

The oldest known historical source to refer to
Thamud are the Babylonian state records. They relate the details
of the victory of King Sargon II of Babylon over that people in
the 8th century B.C. Sargon defeated them in a war in Northern Arabia.
The Greeks also mention this people and Aristotle, Ptolemy and Pliny
refer to them as the "Thamudaei" i.e. "Thamud."237
All trace of them vanished before the time of our Prophet (saas)
in around 400-600.

The well-known ruins of Petra in Jordan

The people of al-Hijr denied the Messengers.
We brought them Our Signs but they turned away from them.
They carved out houses from the mountains, feeling safe,
but the Great Blast seized hold of them in the morning,
so all that they earned was of no use to them.
(Qur’an, 15:80-84)

Today, one can see the finest examples of these peoples' stonework
in the Rum Valley in Jordan, better known as Petra. Indeed, the
Qur'an refers to their expertise in stonework thus:

[Salih said to his people,] "Remember when He
appointed you successors to 'Ad and settled you in the land. You
built palaces on its plains and carved out houses from the mountains.
Remember Allah's blessings and do not go about the earth, corrupting
it." (Qur'an, 7:74)

The people of al-Hijr denied the Messengers.
We brought them Our Signs but they turned away from them. They
carved out houses from the mountains, feeling safe, but the Great
Blast seized hold of them in the morning, so all that they earned
was of no use to them. (Qur'an, 15:80-84)